Emergency in Northern Ugandaphoto by Silvia Morara – Kitgum, N. Uganda

“A real humanitarian tragedy is going on in northern Uganda. The most serious in the world today”

-Jan Egeland, UN Deputy-Secretary General

The civil war in Uganda has caused at least 20,000 deaths, just as many children have been kidnapped, and over one million refugees are in camps missing many of the essentials to survive

UGANDA

Capital city

Population

Life Expectancy

Religions

Economy

Literacy rate

Kampala

26 millions

46 years

Christian, Animist, Muslim

Agriculture and fishing

68%

NIGHT COMMUTERS

They are called the “oring ayela,” which means “those who run away from war.”

They are the children of northern Uganda.

Every evening, more than 40,000 of them leave their villages and walk 6-10 miles to find shelter in the nearest towns, where life is not as dangerous.

The children go to the towns every night to escape the Lord’s Resistance Army—a rebel army headed by a man named Joseph Kony. Kony says he is acting “by the order of God” to recover the purity of the people, but he slaughters villagers, kidnaps village children, and forces them to be soldiers in order to achieve his goal.

For that reason, the children leave their villages every day at sunset, walk to the towns, and try to find places to sleep for the night so that the rebel army cannot kidnap them.

There are a number of shelters where children can go to sleep on the floor, but when the shelters are full they must sleep on the sidewalks until daybreak.

Then, in the morning, all of the kids pick up their bundles of sheets and begin the long walk back to their villages.

Although they have not slept well and are tired and hungry, they spend the day working at home or going to school.

However, when the sun begins to set, they must once again walk to the towns so that the rebel army cannot kidnap them during the night.

If the rebel army does catch the children, it will turn the boys into soldiers and force them to commit very, very brutal acts against other human beings.

As for the girls, the army usually keeps them for the sexual gratification of its officers, even if they are as young as 8 or 10.

This has been happening in Uganda everyday for the past 5 years, but the world has done little to stop it.

In the words of Callum Macrae, a journalist stationed in Uganda:

“It is tempting to think that if they had been stealing oil rather than children, the rest of the world would have paid more attention.”

However, there is hope!

The international relief organization AVSI is implementing projects to help former child-soldiers return to society. AVSI is also supporting schools and centers for sheltering children who have been abducted by the rebels.

Also, there is more reason for hope.

The fact that you are watching this slideshow means that you are about to participate in Books of Hope Uganda…

Using your creative talents,

You are about to make children’s books that will be sent to the children as a way to help them feel peace of mind while they wait

to go to sleep in the shelters.

The books you make will be sent to shelters like this one, where the children will be able to enjoy the stories and pictures. As you can see, they currently have little to take their minds off the war.

Also, since English is the national language of Uganda, the books you make will also help the children continue to learn to read.

Therefore,

the books you are about to make

will benefit these children in many ways.

Please know how grateful we are that you

will be helping us with this project.

Halfway around the world,

your books will offer them joy,

and help their imaginations run free.

“There shall be no peace for the future of mankind, if there is no peace in the mind of children.”

Giovanni Galli, doctor, AVSI volunteer in Africa